Man of Sorrows

I just love the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou.” In it, the Soggy Bottom Boys sing a song called “Man of Sorrows.” I can so relate.

Most of us can relate, can we not? Why is it that this life is so full of sorrows? Why must we go through such hardships? Doesn’t our creator love us enough to keep us from these times? Man, that just gets down to the heart of the matter doesn’t it?

Depression is such a rampant problem in our society. Most of us are plagued by it from time to time. I myself struggle with it. Depression is not something new, though. Some of the greatest men in the history of the world suffered with it, including godly men such as Charles Spurgeon, who had depression so bad that often he could not even preach. It just must be a part of our human experience to suffer. Let’s be real with ourselves. Deep down, doesn’t that somehow and sometimes just make you want to question the loving nature of your creator? Think about these situations:

Job obviously suffered:

• If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales! It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas—no wonder my words have been impetuous. (Job 6:2-3)

David suffered on numerous occasions:

• Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O LORD, how long? (Ps 6:2-3)
  Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. (Ps 31:9-10)

Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet:

• Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. (Jer 4:19)

Daniel was deeply distressed by the visions God gave him:

• I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, "I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." (Dan 10:16-17)

Paul suffered on numerous occasions, had a thorn in his side, and grieved over his brothers:

• I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, (Rom 9:1-3)

In fact, all of the apostles were persecuted and according to tradition and church history most died horrific deaths. Different sources provide different accounts, but by all accounts they were almost all martyred.

Jesus himself was called THE man of sorrows:

• He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Is 53:3)

Just before his death, which itself was of great tribulation and suffering, Jesus faced great personal anguish and sorrow:

• An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:43-44)

Well-intended people may give lots of reasons why we face such difficulties. Like Job’s friends, they may suggest it is the result of our sin – and sometimes it may be. They might suggest that it is Satan attacking them – and like Paul’s thorn in the flesh – it may be. They might suggest that it is just the way things are – and wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, would agree that it may be… he said:

• Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. (Ecc 3:19)
• There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. (Ecc 8:14)

The truth is, we spend way too much time worrying about why such things happen and trying to lay blame for them on anything we can think of, including God. We will never be able to figure out why God allows things to happen the way he does. For example, why did Jesus allow John the Baptist to be beheaded in prison, but he sent an angel to rescue Peter from prison? Why did God rescue Paul from prison so many times only to leave him to remain in prison for several years and to ultimately lose his life in Rome? Solomon figured this out when he said

• So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. (Ecc 9:1)

We are going to go through hard times, but we must remember that God is in control:

• When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. (Ecc. 7:14)

Even Jesus himself warned us of such:

• "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Jn 16:33)

As I write this, I am personally going through some of the darkest times of my life. Those around me have no idea exactly how difficult the times I am facing really are. There are so many people depending on me and I fear that I will let them all down. The troubles are greater than any I have ever experienced and the potential consequences are life-altering. I so relate to these words from Paul to the Corinthians

• We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (1 Cor 4:8-9)

Except that I wonder when I will be crushed. I often feel abandoned. And destruction often seems inevitable. Depression. Yes, I too am a man of sorrow. It is OK to question God. Jesus himself on the cross cried out “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” So I too can ask the question: Why, God? I don’t understand. And yet, in my questioning, I cannot lose faith. It is not for me to understand so much as it is to trust. Trust in the Lord. Have faith. Stand firm. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. When all else fails, I still must say with David…

• Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Ps 20:16)

The best way to deal with these difficulties is to change the way we think about them. When facing such difficulties, we need to focus on God’s promises rather than on whatever fear has beset us. God is our fortress; he is our strength; he is our salvation.

• But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. (Ps 59:16)

Oddly enough… despite all the troubles I am facing and the fear I experience and the depression I know that I am feeling… I’ve been waking up every morning with praise songs in my head. Was I singing in my sleep? This morning, the “cafeteria lady” caught me whistling… I didn’t even know I was whistling. These are gifts from God, not my own doing.

• The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Ps 28:7)
• Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (Is 12:2)
• The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Ps 118:14)

We must always remember that it is God’s strength that carries us. We cannot carry on in our own strengths. If you knew what all I have been facing, you would say “how are you managing it?” I am not. If I had any idea what you were facing, I’m most certain I would be amazed and ask you the same question. Never forget that you are not alone…

• The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Ps 118:6)

And we must trust that he will answer us before we have reached the point where we can no longer bear it

• In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free. (Ps 118:5)
• I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me. (Ps 118:13)

But regardless of what happens, whether it is what we want or something that we could never imagine might happen to us, we must remember this:

• And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)

This we must believe… We have no idea how immense the plan of God is. He knows far more than we can ever imagine and his omnipotence is such that even evil can be used by him for good. I think we forget that sometimes.

This life is nothing more than a vapor. We may have to suffer, possibly even face death, but our hope is not in this life. Our hope is in eternity. If nothing else, that should drive away whatever fears are besetting us:

• For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Rom 8:15-18)

Think about it… would you abandoned your children? Neither will he.